Ringo Starr [ tickets ]'s upcoming self-produced album, "Y Not," features several guest performers including former Beatles' bandmate Paul McCartney [ tickets ], who sings with Starr on the album's first single, "Walk With You," according to a press release. McCartney also plays bass on the album cut "Peace Dream."

In a statement, Starr said McCartney is "gen-i-us" for the way he laid down his vocal track on "Walk With You," which is described as a "moving, even spiritual meditation about the lasting power of friendship."

"Paul was doing the Grammys, so he came over to the house and was playing bass on 'Peace Dream'. So I played him this other track and Paul ... went to the mike and he just invented that part where he follows on my vocal. That was all Paul McCartney, and there could be nothing better.... He just makes it bigger and he makes it fuller," Starr said.

The album, which will be released on Jan. 12, also features special guest performances by Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Benmont Tench, Don Was, Joss Stone, Ben Harper, Glen Ballard and many others.

Starr said his decision to produce his own record was "a confidence thing."

"I was the least involved in the production of the Beatles records," he said. "And then with my solo records, I worked with some other great producers.... Then suddenly, it's another point in your life, and you say, 'I'm going [to] do this now.' So I'll be producing anything I make from now on.... And 'Y Not' is really another way of me saying, 'Yes, I can.'"

Starr was thrilled when his son, Zak, gave the album a good review. "Zak was so great," Starr said in a statement. "He said, 'Dad, it's great. This rocks! You should have been doing this forever.' It's nice coming from your boy, especially since he's a really good drummer."